This article is written by a radio amateur who has experience in managing projects for the development and production of complex electronic equipment. The purpose of this article: to help enthusiasts in the organization of their project activities, as well as to identify differences in approaches to the implementation of amateur (DIY) and commercial projects.

Radio amateur movement has existed for more than a century . Amateur radio is a hobby , because Amateurs carry out their creativity in their free time. Creativity of radio amateurs has all the distinctive features of the project activity :

• aimed at creating a unique product;
• has a limited family budget;
• has a limit on time taken from the family.

From a radio amateur's point of view, a DIY project unique product can be either a Christmas tree garland assembled from a radio designer (yes!) Or a package of design documentation in a volume sufficient to organize small-scale production developed as part of the project of original radio-electronic equipment.

In addition to creating a unique product, an acceptable result of an amateur project may be:

• a feeling of joy from technical creativity;
• a sense of pride for the project;
• strengthening family relationships.

But as a result of an amateur project should not be so:

• wasted money and time;
• deterioration of family relations;
• damage to health and property from an explosion, fire or electric shock in the process of project activity.

Simple rules

To achieve success of an amateur project and minimize losses, both moral and material, it is enough to follow simple rules:

1. Do not attract any external funding until the creation of a working prototype of a unique project product.
2. To be convinced of the technical possibility of successful project implementation even before making a decision on opening this project.
3. Understand that in the early stages, neither the timing nor the budget of the amateur project is beyond planning.
4. Remember that in the early stages your amateur project is not interesting to anyone except you.
5. Do not forget that in the early stages an amateur project is financed only by the family of the enthusiast who has taken time and money from her.

The basis of these simple rules is the fundamental difference between the amateur project and the commercial one: freedom of creativity in terms of financing from its own funds.

In an amateur project, the performer has the right to independently define the purpose of the project, its timing and budget. Project activities may be initiated, terminated or suspended by the contractor at any time. All results of the project belong to the performer.

The attraction of external financing entails the responsibility of the contractor to the investor for the results of the project. The investor has the right to influence the purpose of the project, the timing and budget. You can stop or suspend the project only with the permission of the investor. The investor fully or partially owns the results of the project.

Simple example

The radio amateur has published a design based on the ATmega328P-PU microcontroller in the DIP-28 package. The design of such solutions is simple:

• the project design is determined;
• A deliberately available, affordable debug board with an ATmega328P-PU "on board" is taken, with which a simple free development environment with libraries is compatible;
• From the set of projects published on the open source network for this platform, a project is selected that is suitable for the implementation of the plan;
• the prototyping of the developed solution is made by “strapping” the debug board with the necessary peripherals;
• either adaptation to the product requirements of the selected open source project is carried out, or the development of original software;
• After debugging the software and the layout, a printed circuit board of the product is developed on the layout that meets the level of the developer’s technological capabilities.

It should be noted that this "simple scheme" is 100% consistent with our "simple rules":

1. External financing is not raised.
2. The technical feasibility of the implementation was proved by the presence of similar projects published by other developers.
3. The technical task, the project schedule and its budget were not developed.
4. The solution developed by the project has been published.
5. Family time and money is saved using open source software, as well as prototyping solutions even before ordering printed circuit boards and components for their assembly.
6. A bonus to the “simple scheme” can also be the involvement of their children in the project, which definitely contributes to the improvement of family relations.

Why is everything so and not otherwise

As part of an amateur project, without a development team and raising funds, it is almost impossible to say a new word in technology. All such ideas are either theoretically justified in scientific articles, or implemented by other enthusiasts and then published in open sources, or embodied in industrial designs. This is sad, but, nevertheless, it simplifies the proof of the technical feasibility of the amateur project, and also eliminates the need to play a "terrible commercial secret", the need for which arises, except in the case when you have something to patent. But this is, rather, a startup than a DIY project.

Usually, the goal of an amateur project is to repeat, or improve any existing development or construction, somewhere already published with all the diagrams, drawings, source codes. This development or design, also, can be sold either as a set for self-assembly, or already assembled in production. Another goal of an amateur project may be the alteration of an existing development or construction for its some unusual application. For example, a radio amateur is developing an antenna analyzer based on a kit for assembling a radio station.

After the technical feasibility of the project is defined, the method of technical implementation of this plan is considered. At this stage, a detailed analysis of existing solutions is carried out from the point of view of circuit engineering, constructive, availability of ready-made open source software, etc. In an amateur project at this place it is advisable not to develop the technical task, but only to formulate the requirements for the MVP project . Then the amateur project moves to the draft design stage in order to create a working layout. In the commercial project at this point in time, there is already an updated technical task and a list of technical requirements. Then, bypassing the preliminary design stage, the commercial project enters the working design stage in order to create a prototype.
More information about the stages of the project can be found here . There are also links to GOST.

The difference in approaches is due to the fact that the performer in a commercial project, as a rule, already has some groundwork on the subject of this project, which saves the investor’s time and money by skipping the draft design stage. The performer of an amateur project, due to the limited family budget, cannot afford to order the production of a dozen prototypes and rewire half of the components during their debugging, fairly cutting up the boards.

In an amateur project, to save money and time, you have to check each of your decisions with modeling and prototyping. Debugging boards, datasheets and application notes help in this process. If the necessary debug board is unreasonably expensive, it has to be developed independently from information about it from open sources. Sometimes it is advisable to order the manufacture of a “prototype” printed circuit board at a preferential price, on which all these self-made debugging boards can be assembled. Special attention has to be paid to logistics: it is better to buy more expensive components, but from a reliable supplier.

In a commercial project, for the time spent by a radio amateur on prototyping, they usually have time to debug prototypes and prepare them for preliminary tests. If there were a lot of alterations, and there is a chance that the prototypes will not pass the tests for mechanical strength or “climate”, then the next batch of prototypes will be manufactured, already with modifications. After preliminary tests on the same prototypes conduct acceptance tests. Then adjust the working documentation to the state of the design documentation, and put the product in production. Profit!

At this time in the amateur project, most likely, the prototyping process is still ongoing. If this process ends with the creation of a working layout, the developer can continue the project. Then he decides to create a prototype (prototype), writes the terms of reference, develops a business plan, attracts funding.
But in an amateur project a developer, having received a preliminary result, may not continue the project. This is another fundamental difference in the approaches: upon the implementation of the project’s plan, a family council can be held on the working model with a demonstration of the results obtained. After which the project can be closed, and the results of the project published. There are followers - great! Not found - not so important.

The main condition for success in a DIY project is for close people to understand what money and time was spent on and support your initiatives!

In the subsequent parts of the article there will be the history of the amateur project of the author, set out according to the method given in the introductory part.

And yet, colleagues! Do not regard all the above as a dogma. This article only reflects the views of the author on the phenomenon of amateur projects in terms of rich life experience and professional knowledge. I really hope that any assessment will be accompanied by a comment.

73! Before communication!